The Fire In Their Eyes
by pillowrabbit
Summary: There is an ancient story that has been passed down, a beam of hope that everyone, humans and Pokemon alike, cling onto: that one day, the two mythical teams will rise from the ashes and bring peace once more: Team Harmony, riding on the wings of a legendary Lugia, and Team Rebirth, sent forth from the cry of a Ho-oh's song. But that's just a story, isn't it?
1. Chapter 1

**A war has been waging for as long as anyone can remember. The three teams have always been hostile and power-hungry, clashing with one another for territory and strength. Now, each of their legacies have been passed onto new leaders: Candela, prideful and strong; Blanche, clever and fierce; Spark, swift and loyal. None have known anything but strife and battle as their teams struggle to maintain their power, but a bigger danger may force them, for the first time in centuries, to join forces and forget their differences.**

 **There is an ancient story that has been passed down, a beam of hope that everyone, humans and Pokemon alike, cling onto: that one day, the two mythical teams will rise from the ashes and bring peace once more: Team Harmony, riding on the wings of a legendary Lugia, and Team Rebirth, sent forth from the cry of a Ho-oh's song. But that's just a story, isn't it?**

* * *

 **Note: I am not continuing any of my older stories, sorry ;v; They were written years ago, I've lost interest in them, and I'd like to start anew.**

* * *

Spark had always felt it, for as long as he could remember. Even as a kid, still tying his shoelaces in triple knots and trying (and failing), to catch his first Caterpie. The narrowed eyes. The glares. The weight of words left unspoken, silent yet hanging like fog in the air, thick enough to cut with a knife.

Then his father was there, all of a sudden. He still remembered what he had looked like, gazing up at him with sunlight frazzling his hair. He would always remember his father like this: tall and broad-shouldered, unyielding to the weight, standing and facing them all with an unwavering gaze, a steady hand.

"He's just a boy," he had said. "Let him go."

For a moment, the crowd clung on stubbornly like moss to a rock. Then, slowly, they parted to let them pass. But the wariness was still there. Unrelenting. The smoldering anger in those unfamiliar eyes.

His father's hand on his shoulder, and Spark forced himself to not be afraid, to stand tall like his father. Before he left the enemy's part of the woods, he happened to glance behind him. Just a quick glance, nothing more.

But he caught the gaze of a little girl, just as young as him. She was clinging onto an older woman's coat, her brown eyes wide and glistening, her brown hair ruffled and cut short.

He grinned.

She did not grin back.


	2. Chapter 2

"Another one?" she asked, breathless, her sides heaving as she fought for air. Leaves lashed at her face as she ran, mud splattering on her clothes with every step she took. The air was tainted with the scent of oncoming rain.

The other nodded. "Spotted in this forest, just up ahead. A Nidoking."

Dread crept up her spine. _Not again,_ she thought. "And you're sure it's ours?"

She couldn't say any more. Didn't need to, for as the bushes parted up ahead and the first drops of rain fell, she could spot a tint of purple, the bellows of rage and her teammate's frantic shouts.

Her stomach dropped. _No._

But it was. The telltale red ribbon around the Nidoking's arm told it all. She skidded to a halt.

It was surrounded on all sides by eight of her own people. Outnumbered. Barraged by attacks. Yet it fought back easily, landing in blow after blow.

A teammate was blown back effortlessly like a leaf on the wind. He yelled as he flew backward. Candela pitched forward just in time to catch him before he crashed into a tree.

"Get more enforcements!" she told him. She shook his shoulders. "Do you understand me?" she said, yelling to be heard above the angry roars. "We need as many people we can find!"

A sudden movement. She ducked just in time as the Nidoking's tail swiped the air above her, seconds where her head had been. Twenty pounds of pure force. A blow like that would've crushed her skull.

Candela leaped back. "Victreebel!" she yelled, sending it out in a flash of white light. "Leaf storm!"

Instantly, the air became alive with wisps of green blurs, sharp-edged and quicker than lightning. They whizzed past her cheek. The Nidoking clenched its eyes shut and blocked its face with its thick arms. It bellowed angrily. The deafening noise was enough to make her knees go weak, but she didn't flinch. She couldn't. One wrong move, and they'd lose without knowing what hit them.

She turned to the others. "What are standing there for?" she spat. "Help me!"

Instantly, her teammates gained footing again. With her Victreebel in the lead, it was easy for them to raise their spirits. A long, uphill climb.

Candela dug her heels into the mud. The rain whipped past her, driven into needles by the wind.

"Hold your strongest attacks until the last!" she told them. "Drive the Nidoking backward! We have to corner him fir-"

The breath was driven out of her lungs. She could actually feel it whip past her, as though slapped by an invisible hand. Her eyes widened. Her own brown eyes met the Nidoking's own, and in the seconds that passed, she knew. She understood. She saw the power held in them, the fury, the wild anger, red-hot and unrelenting. It was too late to do anything. No time to scream, to dodge, to duck. She had underestimated it all.

If she had time, she would have spoken to it. Her lips parted. _You were one of us once._

Then the claw glinted in the light and struck. She closed her eyes and braced herself.

Waited.

The pattering of rain on leaves.

A whoosh of air centimeters from her face.

A bone-crushing noise, a sickening thud, but it was not her own. Her eyes flew open just in time to see a girl flying through the air, her body spiraling. Up and around. It struck her then, to notice how small her body was, how frail. The girl flew like a bird and plummeted toward the ground like stone, noiselessly and without so much as a cry.

Silence. The Nidoking's heavy snort, its hot breath washing over her.

It was only then, when one of them let out a mournful cry, did Candela finally feel her legs working again, hear her heart hammering in her chest. She took a step forward. Then another. It was as though she were in a dream. Her mind felt light-headed.

 _No._

The girl's body lay crumpled in the mud, face-down, sprawled like a broken doll. Like a butterfly, she thought.

 _Not again._

Candela's breath shook. She touched the girl's arm. The body did not stir. The shouts of her teammates and the bellows of the animal were far behind her now, echoes in a cave. She could see only the girl, unmoving and silent.

" _Poli! Poli!"_

It snapped her out of her thoughts. She blinked. The girl's Poliwhirl hopped over, its little legs toddling then coming to a stop beside her.

" _Poli? Poli."_

It fell silent. Candela saw the things swimming behind its eyes. Confusion, maybe? Then disbelief. Then, finally, sorrow.

How many of her people had to fall before it was finally over? Slowly, Candela brushed her hand over the badge of red on the girl's crumpled shirt. Mud-stained and dirty, but still the brightest red she ever knew, burning like an ember against the slought of rain. She furrowed her brow.

 _Valor._ That's what she was. What she was meant to be.

She couldn't trust herself to speak, but when she did, her voice did not waver.

"Come on, Poliwhirl."

It glanced up at her.

"We haven't lost yet."

Her teammates were still carrying on, even as she had crouched over the girl's body. Fighting on valiantly. Despite herself, a flare of pride bloomed inside her chest, brighter than any flame.

"Victreebel? You with me?"

" _Vi."_

She straightened and commanded, "Solarbeam!"

Victreebel grunted and readied itself, tendrils drawn in tight. The Nidoking lunged.

"Poliwhirl! Hydro pump! Give it the best you've got!"

The Pokemon launched itself toward the Nidoking. The hulking monster did not slow its pace. If anything, it only quickened, claws outstretched, jaws parted wide. Rows of gleaming teeth, razor-sharp.

The blast of water shot into its chest, sending it skidding backward a couple of feet. Then another, and another. A Vileplume, a Golduck, a Persian. Slowly, they were all fighting back, working together, casting the beast away.

" _Vi!"_

A shudder worked its way through Victreebel as the orb above its head glowed, growing brighter and brighter. It seared her eyes, but she didn't look away. Not when victory was in their reach.

The force of it was strong enough to steal her breath away, to make her short hair lash against her ears. Startled shouts from her crew. A deafening roar, shaking the earth.

Then a different roar, a pained one, as the solar beam hit its target straight on the mark. The light withered away and was gone.

Candela hesitated. Then, cautiously, she walked toward it.

Its flanks heaved where it lay, its face hidden behind a mass of bruised armor and thick plates. She stopped a few feet away. She crouched down.

"You," she said, keeping her voice firm but steady. Flashes of the girl's crumpled body. She couldn't break down now. "Look at me."

The Nidoking snarled, an ugly noise. She squinted closer. No, she hadn't been mistaken. The ribbon tied to its arm was only a frayed thread now, weathered by the battle, but it was, unmistakably, a shade of red. The same color they all wore.

"Don't you remember me?" she breathed, a fist crushing her ribs. She forced herself to stay calm. Her crew gathered around her. "I'm Candela. Leader of Team Valor. You were in our Team. Remember?"

Slowly, it lifted its head. Candela thought she saw a glint of something in its eyes, a glimmer of understanding, maybe. It stared straight at her.

Then, it opened its mouth. She found herself gazing into a black pit.

"Candela!" someone screamed. "Get out of the way!"

She jerked backward, but it wasn't enough. There was no time to move. All she could do was peer into its eyes as it charged toward her, quicker than a blink.

Hot breath. Black, beady eyes. Rows and rows of fangs.

So this was how it all ended.

"Hydro pump!"

A violent _thrack!_ The sound of something beating against rough hide. Then the Nidoking fell, crashing to the ground. Its snout landed right in front of her. It twitched a little, then stopped.

Candela sucked in a breath through her teeth. Her body was tensed up so tight it hurt. Her pulse hammered through her ear.

The Blastoise lumbered toward her, the last of the water dripping from its cannons. Then a figure. A slim, tall figure.

Candela had never seen her before, but she could tell, with a passing of her eyes, who she was. It was obvious. The straightness in the stranger's back, the quiet power in her stance, her silvery hair parted neatly behind her neck. The steel in her gaze, sharp as a hawk's. She didn't just see her; she saw _through_ her, as piercing as an arrow. Cold as ice.

For a moment, all Candela could do was stare. Stare at her reflection in the woman's eyes; brown-haired, muddy, adrenaline still pumping through her.

Then, the spell was broken. Candela jolted upright. She hissed, "Why have you passed here?"

Her crewmates pressed closer, flanking her on both sides, and she forced herself to relax, to think things smoothly. Blanche was clearly outnumbered; there was only one of her. But maybe it was a trap? Maybe her henchmen were hidden all along the forest.

The woman's lips twitched. It was only a passing of a second, but Candela caught it. Was she mocking her?

Blanche dipped her head and bowed a little. "Greetings. My name is-"

"I know who you are, and you know exactly where _you_ are. Turn back this instant, or we won't hesitate to attack."

Still, Candela couldn't help but replay that voice again. Smooth and flowing, like a swift-running river. But a sternness underneath, a bitterness that spoke of blizzards.

The woman smiled at her. Tight-lipped. A gesture of politeness, she knew. She did not smile back.

"Blastoise," she said, turning toward her Pokemon.

Candela stiffened, readying herself. But to her surprise, Blanche brought out a Pokeball and whisked it away in a white flash.

"I am not here to fight," she said. "Just to talk."

 _Talk?_ Candela almost laughed. What did she think she could do? Just waltz in and chat over some tea and biscuits, like they were old friends?

"I know what you are thinking," said the thin voice," and believe me, I don't care for it either. But you've known of these strange happenings, hm?" She nodded at the fallen Nidoking. "The sudden attacks. How your Pokemon can suddenly turn against you without warning. As though they don't even recognize you, like they've transformed into devilish beasts. You know what I mean."

Candela tensed when the woman cast her gaze toward the body of the girl. Someone seemed to flicker in those blue eyes. "How many have you lost?" Blanche murmured.

"None of your business!" she spat. Then, cautiously, she forced her hackles to lie smooth again. In a stern tone, she said, "What do you want from us?"

She tilted her chin high. "I have a proposal," she said. "This has been going on for months now. My own Pokemon suddenly snapping and attacking everything they see. I have lost many of my own people."

Candela arched an eyebrow. "So have you found what it is? A kind of drug? A disease?"

She almost wanted to punch herself. Talking to an enemy clan. Her own mates cast sidelong glances at her, although they knew enough to keep quiet.

 _Keep your guard up,_ she told herself. _She can't be trusted._

"I wish to speak to you in private," the other said.

"Oh?" Candela straightened herself up, making herself look taller. She planted her feet firmly on the ground. "And what if I don't want to?"

It was unsettling, how the enemy showed no spark of emotion in her unwavering blue eyes. She turned. Candela followed her gaze, and couldn't help but wince when, once again, they fell on the body of the broken girl.

The question was silent, but it hovered in the air. Candela felt her crew's eyes burning into her back, judging her, questioning her. She heaved a shuddering breath. It was as though the sky would split open, as though the ground would shatter and yawn, at the choice she was about to make.

 _This isn't real._ But it was.

She narrowed her eyes. "Say one wrong word, make one wrong step, and I won't hesitate to set my people on you." Briskly, she turned her back to her and headed back up the trail.

Blanche followed.


	3. Chapter 3

When Blanche was little, she'd perch on his knee and listen to his stories. He chewed them around like tobacco. Pried them out with his teeth. Even in the end, when his mouth was empty and he had no more stories left to give, Blanche would always remember her favorite one.

An earthquake had struck when the world was still new, when not even the first stars had yet been made. It thundered; it shuddered; it loosened the seams of the earth and split it wide like an apple core. The first village felt the sky shake. Houses tumbled through the cracks. Swallowed up by the ground. They fell down, down, and down. How the people screamed! How they cried for help! But their shrieks were only whispers against the earthquake's mighty roar.

Yet, one heard. A silver bird. It rose with its great wings. Right before the village was dashed to pieces at the very edge of the earth, it caught them on its back and flew upward, higher and higher, away from all the danger. It soared toward heaven, and the villagers swore they had never seen any bird like this one.

Silvery-white, shimmering on its edges. Like a patch of living cloud, as though it were carved out of ice itself. Its eyes were old, the story had said, but held within them were wisdom. Wisdom, strength, and kindness.

Blanche ignored the hostile glares, the accusing whispers behind her back. She kept her gaze straight ahead and walked a calm, steady pace. Guards flanked her on both sides. She could practically feel the wariness rolling off them like waves.

In the end of the hallway was a room.

"She will see you shortly," said one of them, and they hastily hurried back out the door.

She let her gaze fall on the empty table and its set of chairs. The walls were bare, the wallpaper a drab set of stony gray.

A lone window hung on the far side of the room. Through it, she could see the rolling storm clouds, the downpour leaving streaks of tears down the glass.

The sound of the door unlocking.

She turned to see Candela make her way through it, not even bothering to give her so much as a glance. Blanche could see the stiff way she walked, the tiredness in her shoulders, the stray hairs fanning her forehead. And her face, pinched with worry, as though she could actually _feel,_ like she actually cared about all that had happened. A hint of surprise danced around Blanche's nerves, but she forced it away. _Keep alert._ She searched the enemy's hands for any hint of a weapon. Only then did she let herself relax.

Candela dropped onto the chair and heaved a heavy sigh, enough to rattle her bones. She gestured impatiently to the empty chair across the table.

"Well?" she hissed. "Let's get this over with. And be warned, I've got cameras everywhere. We can see your every move."

Blanche felt her hackles rise, her brow furrowing at the remark. _Control,_ she told her herself, breathing steadily. _It's all about focus._

Instead of a glare, she gave her a thin smile and settled over the chair. The table was wide enough to face each other, but not so close that they bumped knees. Good. Even now, she couldn't help but quicken her breath at the thought of actually _talking_ to someone from another team. This was taboo. This was unspoken of, never even _dreamed_ of, not in a thousand years. A Mystic and a Valor together in the same room. What would her uncle say if he saw her now?

Blanche sat up straight and crossed her arms. _Look confident. Intimidate her._ "I remember when this first started happening. They disappeared for weeks at a time, with no warning and without a trace. When they finally showed up again, they changed. They grew irritable. Disobedient. Little details that no one bothered to pay attention to until it was too late." Blanche thought back to one of their own Rattatas, brought up and trained well just like all the other Pokemon they captured. None would dream of ever biting her. Until one day, some did.

Just some nibbles, not deep but enough to hurt. Maybe a few angry squeaks too, and scratches, as though they didn't quite recognize her.

Pretty soon, they stopped listening altogether. Tossed her words away like a rock into a stream. They attacked anything and anyone that moved. Pokeballs couldn't contain them. Blanche remembered, with a heavy heart, how she had to put them in cages, the last thing she ever wanted for her Pokemon.

It started with just the small ones. Geodudes, Weedles, Pidgeys. Then, like a patient hunter, it moved on to the bigger game.

She kept her voice steady. "Their strength increased tenfold. None of us knew what had happened. Steel cages became useless, since they could trample them as easily as twigs. We had to lock them up. My researchers worked hard to find a cure. It's been months now." She hardened her gaze. "I know you don't take this problem lightly. You saw what that Nidoking did."

Blanche didn't flinch. She didn't even waver, didn't falter or jump, not even when Candela slammed her fist on the table and shot her face up to send her a fiery scowl.

"Is this what you've come all the way here to tell me? All this useless crap? Do you actually think I'm retarded enough to not know everything that's been going on for the past eight months?" She stretched her mouth back into a half grin, half grimace. "Don't answer that. I know exactly what you think of me. And if that's all you have to say, then you might as well scram. I have a _funeral_ to get to."

Blanche caught her furious gaze and held it, matching her brown eyes with her own steely gray. She searched deep within them. She was a snake sliding through the grass, noiselessly, stealthily, scenting things out and waiting for the right chance to strike. She watched the emotion flicker in her opponent's face. Candela's eyes smoldered, but they also held something else. Hurt. Sorrow. She saw the broken girl from earlier, lying face-down on the ground.

Yes. The snake opened its jaws and struck.

Candela was already halfway out the door when Blanche said, "How many?"

The girl stopped in mid-stride. Blanche noticed the way she clenched her fists, hard enough to leave her knuckles bone-white.

"What?"

"You understand me. How many?" Blanche leaned back against the chair, making herself seem nonchalant, as though they were talking about nothing but the weather.

She saw it coming from a mile away. A slight gust of wind. A whoosh. A blur. She caught the hand right before it slapped her. Tightened her grip, grinding the bones together. Candela stiffened and shot her another glare.

"Let me go," she said, voice dangerously low.

"I told you already," Blanche said, and even she couldn't help a trickle of irritation from leaking through. "I came here to talk, not to fight. I have lost many of my own people too. Good people. You want to know exactly _how many_? Twelve so far. Too much for me to bear."

"Then that's your problem, not mine. Now let go of my arm, or I won't hesitate to break your nose."

Idle threats. Just what she'd expect from a Valor.

"My researchers and I have examined the bodies of the Pokemon we've had to put down. There was nothing unusual about them. No growths, no changes, and no illnesses whatsoever. It is not a virus." At this, Candela stopped moving. Cautiously, Blanche loosened her grip. The enemy yanked her arm away and stepped back, rubbing the bruise on her wrist. Hatred was still written all over her face. But the anger was gone. She made no move to leave.

Blanche continued, "What we did discover was a strange marking on all of them. Very small, about half an inch, but there nonetheless. It is in the shape of a lightning bolt."

"Lightning bolt?"

"A scar. But always in the places where we aren't likely to see. The back of their ears. The inside of their paw. Beneath their arms. It is as though someone is deliberately capturing Pokemon and carving that mark onto them."

The twitch of a grin. "You're saying that somebody's running around these woods, hunting down Pokemon and-"

"If you check that Nidoking's body, I promise you'll find one too." The cocky grin faded. "Possibly strategically hidden beneath its horn, or on the base of its tail, where no one will notice. A person really is behind all this. Or." She leaned forward. "A _group_ of people are behind this. This isn't a game, Valor. This is an attack. They are deliberately catching Pokemon and then releasing them back into the woods. Somehow, they are able to alter their minds, change their personalities, make them forget everything about their trainers. You saw how much damage it's done already."

She scoffed. "That's insane. So some crazy organization's doing this? Well, what do they want from us?"

"To destroy us, possibly. If we don't do something soon, more and more Pokemon will be infected just like that Nidoking. And it'll get to the point where we won't be able to hold them back."

Without warning, her mind turned and strayed back to all those months ago. The Rattatas were the first to go. And then went the rest. She could still remember the stricken looks on her teammate's faces when their own Pokemon suddenly went missing, nowhere to be found, then turn up weeks later with fangs bared and fur bristling. One by one, they became savage beasts, snarling and growling, not hesitating to lunge and tear a person's arm off.

Then Blanche's own Steelix. If she closed her eyes, she could still hear the terrified screams of her team, the deafening roar of the furious beast, of metal crunching and twisting as it writhed through the hallway. _Calm down! What's wrong with you? No. It can't be. Steelix. Don't tell me it's gotten you too._

The grief was crushing and sudden, coming like a hard-knuckled blow. That was when she had finally broken down. When she had decided to come here, begging at the feet of her opponent. The thought of it had made her want to spit. But she couldn't risk it. She couldn't just stand and watch it tear her team apart. She couldn't lose the Pokemon she had left.

Candela's back was turned toward her. When she spoke, she sounded surprisingly calm. "So you want me to help you track these people down."

Even now, Blanche wanted to wrinkle her nose at those words. Helping a Valor. It made her insides drip with disgust, but she stifled it enough to say, "A temporary alliance. Or a truce, if you will. Just long enough for me to find what I'm looking for."

"Then can't your researchers help you? Or the rest of your team?"

"They've already been through enough. I want them to stay together, since they'll be safer that way. And besides."

She stood up. The floorboards creaked beneath her. "I am the leader of Team Mystic. It is my duty to protect both my people and my Pokemon. The ones I have left, at least." She lifted her chin. "And frankly, even if you are cowardly enough to turn down my offer, I will still carry on by myself."

Candela glowered. "I'm not _scared_ ," she sneered. "You should hear yourself. Oh, let's shake hands and be friends!" she mocked. "We'll forget everything that's happened for the last few hundred years."

Blanche sucked in a sharp breath. "Believe me, Valor, this idea repulses me just as much. But I'm at the end of my line."

Silence. It hung like a boulder over their heads, threatening to crush them both. Blanche watched Candela. Saw how she opened her mouth to say something, only to close it again. Watched as she dropped her head to stare down at her shoes.

Finally, she glanced up. Blanche saw fire burning in her eyes.

"Fine, then," she said. "I'll do it. I don't really have a choice now, do I? This won't stop until I hunt down those people and give them hell for all they've done to my Team."

Blanche stretched her arm out. "A pleasure being with you," she said icily.

Candela didn't shake her hand.


	4. Chapter 4

He winced when a twig jabbed him in the knee.

"God, why's it so stuffy in here? And why's it so noisy? Quill, shut up!"

" _Jolt."_

"Oh, right, it's just me."

He perked up suddenly, straining to hear above the birdsong. Were those footsteps? Fallen leaves stirred in the breath of the late autumn wind. There. Voices. A stick cracking beneath a boot. He waited with bated breath.

Two feet appeared. More voices. Closer...closer…

Then-

He hurtled himself out of the bush, arms outstretched.

"Aha! Gotcha, you creep!" he cried.

Then, startled, he jerked back.

 _Wait-_

"Victreebel, vine whip!"

Before he could even blink, stinging vines shot toward him, knocking into his feet and squeezing his arms. In the next second, he was sprawled onto the ground, staring up at two figures.

He managed a nervous grin.

"Oh, hey. Lovely morning. Good weather for a stroll."

They didn't answer. Only peered down at him, _studying_ him. He strained to get away from their roving eyes, but the vines kept him in place.

He whispered desperately, "Quill. _Quill."_

The Jolteon was sitting next to the bush, casually licking its paw. It didn't even glance up.

"Fat lot of good you are," he muttered.

A boot pressed down hard on his chest, enough to drive the breath out of him. He squeaked.

"And who might _you_ be?" a voice asked coolly. The girl seemed vaguely familiar. Her skin was darker, her hair brown and curling around her ears. Red stripes adorned her shoulders.

 _Oh shi-_

"You ain't deaf. Are you lost, boy?"

"No, u-um, I was just-"

She gave him a grin full of teeth. "You're trespassing on _my_ land, idiot. What were you planning, hm? Think you can steal a gym right from under my nose?"

"N-no!"

A second voice spoke up. "You're screeching as loud as a Fearow, Valor. Keep low. There may be more of them lurking about." Her blue eyes glittered coldly at him, as sharp as two chips of ice. He gulped. A Mystic. The blue symbols on her clothes told him as much.

But wait. Was he seeing things? Or-?

He squeezed his eyes shut. Opened them again slowly.

No, the two of them were still there. A Mystic and a Valor. Standing side-by-side.

"Um," he said. "I don't mean to alarm you, ma'am, but there's a Mystic right behind you."

The Valor rolled her eyes. "Of course, idiot."

"But…" His eyes widened. "Hey, that's not fair! You can't just yell at me and not at her! _She's_ as much of a trespasser as I am!" He started to squirm, thrashing at the vines. "Stupid things-"

"Shut it, Yellow!" she spat. The heel of the boot stamped down on his neck and he gasped, feeling it grind into his skin. It was hard to swallow, to speak.

 _Oh, man. This is bad, really bad._ It reminded him of the stories passed around the HQ, as easily spoken of as a hand thumping him on the back. How the wrath of a Valor was as fiery as the sun, how they could burn straight through your heart and leave you charred black. And Mystics weren't any better. The roughness of the heel on his neck reminded him of another one. Of how, supposedly, an Instinct's Vulpix had once wandered off into Team Mystic's turf, a long time ago. And when they had finally found it, it had been-

A shudder worked its way up his spine. _Don't think about that!_ he told himself.

"Hold on…" The Mystic had stood back and was quiet for some time. With a finger tapping her chin thoughtfully, she said, "The lightning-shaped scars. Could it be…" She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

He heard the Valor give a sharp intake of breath. Felt the boot crushing his windpipe, cutting off his air. Eyes wide. Full of rage. Her fist moved back. He closed his eyes. Braced himself.

" _Jolt!"_

The boot lifted. He opened them again to see Jolteon standing in front of him, electricity crackling from its fur.

Hoarsely, out of breath, he rasped, "Oh, _now_ you decide you show up?"

"We can't let him get away," the Mystic said. "He could be one of _them."_

Spark's blood ran cold.

"Quill!" he yelled. "Thunder wave!"

"Victreebel! Vine whip!"

Green vines lashed out. Spark flinched back before one could whip his face. Jolteon nimbly danced out of its grasp, its movements quick and light. Clenching its teeth, it reared up and let white-hot sparks fly from its fur.

The Victreebel flinched away.

"Hold up," Spark pleaded, trying and failing to wrench free from his bonds. "I'm sorry, but I had to come! I just needed-"

"Now, sludge bomb! Hit it hard!"

He gasped, "I just need to talk to your leader!"

Jolteon was struck backward by the hurtling attack. It collided into a tree with a loud _thwack!_

She replied, "You're looking at her right now."

He blinked a few times. Once. Twice. _Huh? This_ was Team Valor's leader?

Jolteon bounced up, limping now, and launched itself back into battle.

"No, Quill, don't-"

"And besides," she sneered, "If it's so important, why doesn't your leader come meet me himself? Is he that much of a wimp?"

Jolteon jumped into the air. A glowing white ball formed from its jaws. Spark kicked out wildly, but the vines held firm. He had to stop this! Now!

The girl pointed. "Finish this! Leaf storm!"

Victreebel bellowed forcefully and waved its leaves. Instantly, the wind picked up. It buffeted Spark's hair, stung his cheeks, nipped his ears with invisible teeth. Jolteon's lightning ball was bigger now, crackling with energy, as white as the sun.

"Because," Spark choked out, "Because I'm the leader of Team Instinct!"

He could barely hear himself over the howling of the wind, but as soon as the words left his mouth, the gales whispered and died.

"Stop, Victreebel."

Only when its opponent back down did Jolteon pause, the electricity sputtering like a dying engine.

She was not smiling anymore. "You?" she exclaimed. " _You're_ Spark?"

"Why are you so surprised?" He squirmed. His pulse thudded painfully in his ears. "C-Can you let me up now?"

She hesitated.

A white flash as she tossed out a Pokeball. "Charmeleon. Burn those ropes off."

The flames came uncomfortably close.

He yelped. "H-hey, buddy, careful with that." Smoke trickled out of its nostrils when it snorted disdainfully. Once Spark could sit up, it backed away to stand beside its trainer, growling.

He stretched his cramped muscles. "Phew," he breathed. "Yeah, I'm Spark. And you must be...Candela? I've heard a lot about you." _None of which are good,_ he thought.

She crossed her arms. "What did you come here for?"

"To ask a question." He stood up and dusted himself off. "It's very important that you answer it."

They faced each other. Jolteon and Charmeleon were growling at each other, but Spark didn't break his stare away from her's. He inhaled.

"Have you...happened to see Stormageddon around here?"

Her eyebrow twitched. She smiled, but it was not a nice one. "Storma...?"

"Yeah. Stormaggedon. He's very dear to me, but he wandered off some days ago and won't come back. I've had my Team search all over. Maybe he flew into your woods?" At her questioning look, he added, "He's a Pidgey."

She arched a brow. "A Pidgey."

He nodded furiously.

"A Pidgey named Stormageddon."

He chuckled. "Of course, he's more of a pet than an actual fighter, but…"

She cocked her head to one side and he could tell she was thinking hard. "Your Pokemon's going missing too?"

"Hm? Well, kinda. Stormy and...a few others that belonged to my teammates, I think? I dunno." He shrugged.

Candela sighed and pinched her nose in exasperation. "Alright, so the problem's bigger than I thought. Charmeleon! Stop growling at them! And Blue-" She whirled around and broke off. Her eyes darted this way and that. "What the-? When did she leave?"

"The white-haired lady? I couldn't really see after you stomped on me with your shoe, but maybe she went past those trees over there."

She muttered something under her breath, then shot her arm out and latched onto his ear.

"Ow, ow, ow!"

"Quiet," she hissed. "I need to keep a close eye on you, make sure you don't run off. Don't try anything funny."

Jolteon barked and raised its spikes.

"It's alright, Quill." He laughed nervously. "She won't hurt us...or maybe she will."

Candela rolled her eyes. "Just stick close to me."

He followed her as they trudged through the bushes.

Finally, though, they spotted the girl crouching down in a blank patch of ground, her face hidden behind her bangs.

Candela stomped toward her. "What's the big idea?" she yelled. "You just left me there to fend for myself! What if he'd beaten me?"

The cool voice replied, "But he didn't, did he?" She didn't even bother glancing up.

Candela fumed. "I thought we made an alliance," she said out of gritted teeth. "So you'd better do your part of it, or I'll call it off."

Spark started. An alliance? Had he heard right? He cleaned an ear with his pinkie. An _alliance?_ Between Team Mystic and Team Valor? The thought of it yanked him from the earth and spun him around, light-headed. The two most brutal forces, teaming up together. This was...this was impossible. This was unthinkable. Never, even in his wildest dreams, had he ever even brushed the idea of it. A Mystic and a Valor together was like a Magikarp sprouting wings and flying. This couldn't be real.

 _Be careful out there,_ he suddenly heard his father, a long time ago. _Those Valors would kill you as soon as they'd look at you. They want nothing but blood and power and the song of battle in their veins. Ever since their Pokemon are hatched from eggs, they mercilessly train train them for hours on end. They're born from fire and forged from steel._

The two were bickering, although Candela was doing most of the yelling. The white-haired girl-Blanche? he suddenly wondered-had finally stood up, and was glaring at her.

 _His father shook a finger at him. "And those Mystics are as cold as the winter night. They're heartless. They've got nothing inside them. No heart. No warmth. Just the urge to toss away anyone who disagrees with their beliefs, humans and Pokemon alike. They'd just as soon as kill you than look at you. They're brutes, every last one of them. When the north wind blows, it chills their hearts so they feel no ounce of remorse."_

" _Jolteon…"_

He jumped out of his thoughts and glanced down. Jolteon was crouching behind his legs, quivering as it watched the argument.

He bent down to pat its head. "It's alright," he whispered. "I won't let them hurt you."

He glanced back up. They were too busy talking to notice. Slowly, he began to back away. One step at a time. A slight shuffle. Slowly, slowly, ever so slowly. His knees creaked.

"Hold on," Blanche said suddenly. He froze. She tilted her head to one side. "Do you hear that? Or rather, not hear?"

Candela snapped, "All I hear is your annoying voice!"

"No," she said firmly. "The birds have stopped singing."

Spark listened. Sure enough, the forests had fallen silent. All he could hear was his own breathing and the rustle of the breeze.

At Candela's confusion, Blanche said, "Don't you ever pay attention to nature? This means something. Look."

She nudged at the ground. Spark inched closer to see a set of paw prints pressed down into the mud. "This is what I've been studying for those past few minutes, before you came crashing up here. They're Tauros hooves."

Spark was about to pipe up, but Candela voiced his thoughts. "That's not possible. Tauros don't live in closed spaces like the forest."

"I know. But with all the strange things that have been happening, I wouldn't be surprised."

Spark turned away. Something had changed. Maybe the temperature. Maybe the wind. Either way, it made the hairs on the back of his rise, his knees weaken.

"You feel that, Quill?" he breathed. It nodded.

Then he felt it. A slight humming. Not a noise, but a feeling that traveled from the ground to his body. A small tremor.

Blanche walked and stood next to him, gazing off into the distance of the trees.

"What is it?" Candela asked.

The earth hummed louder and louder, then louder still. It was like the sound of hundreds of stones being thrown against a cliff. _Hruuummm! Hrooom!_

And then they saw it. All three of them at once. A herd. They were charging straight toward them.


	5. Chapter 5

And then she heard it. The pounding of a hundred hooves. A brown river beelined straight toward them from the distance. A stream of horns and whipping tails and muted bellows. Dust rose from either side. The sound of stone beating against stone. _Hrruuummmm! Hrooooommmmm!_

The bellows trembled beneath her feet, traveled up her legs, shook her very core.

"Climb the trees!" she shouted.

"No time!" Blanche argued. "A measly tree trunk won't stop them."

Candela watched as the herd of Tauros made their way through the forest, not even bothering to jump over or dodge the rocks and trees. They rammed straight through them. They didn't even slow. Rock shards and wooden splinters littered the path.

Spark clapped his hands together. "I know! If we show them we're friends, they won't kill us!"

Candela exclaimed, "Are you out of your mind?"

"What? Maybe they got spooked and all they need is some gentle reassurance. You with me, Quill?"

Jolteon zipped into the bushes and disappeared.

"Hey, don't bail out on me now!"

Candela clenched her fists. A bead of sweat trickled down her neck. This was no time for talking!

She turned to Victreebel, but before she could do anything, Blanche cried, "Dewgong! Ice beam!"

 _Finally, some action!_

She waited.

But, strangely, the attack didn't come. The Tauros weren't slowing. They hadn't even been hit. She spun around, her jaw gaping in disbelief.

"What the-"

A wall of shimmering ice stood tall behind her. She saw her own startled face a hundred times in the shards, peering out at her, reflected by the dozens against the mirrors.

Candela touched the barrier. It held firm, the coldness nipping her fingers.

Then she kicked it.

"Hey! I know you can hear me! You'd better let me in there!"

No answer. She pounded on it with both fists.

The Tauros were closer now, much closer. She could hear their braying, see their wildly rolling eyes. She grit her teeth. _Guess it's up to me now._

"Victreebel, Charmeleon, use leaf storm and flamethrower. Don't hold back!"

 _"Vi!"_

 _"Char."_

She flung up two more Pokeballs. "Flareon, join him with your flamethrower. Shoot it out as far as you can. Gengar, double team! Distract those Tauros and lead them away from us!"

 _"Flare!"_

 _"Gen!"_

Bursts of red-hot flame rushed out. They blasted forth in crackling torrents, meeting the Tauros head-on. Victreebel's howling gales fanned them even bigger, blooming angrily in burning red blossoms. Needle-sharp leaves burrowed themselves into the Tauros's pelts, as swift as rain, nearly too fast to see.

And yet…

they...

didn't stop...

running.

They were close enough for her to make out the whites of their eyes. Something struck her as odd.

The eyes looked dead. Empty. They didn't blink, didn't even seem to _see_ , yet they kept on charging in her direction. From the mountains of dust came zipping blurs of purple darting in between their legs. Gengar's double team. But the Tauros didn't seem to even notice it!

Spark said, "Guess there's no choice." He tossed a Pokeball. "This one's bound to stop 'em! Thunderbolt!"

A Raichu hurtled itself into the air. Yellow sparks crackled in its fur, and before it hit the ground, it curled into a ball and squeezed its eyes shut.

 _"Raichu!"_ it cried. White lightning ripped its way out and surged toward the stampede in a blinding explosion. Instantly, the entire woodland was lit up inside itself, so bright she had to look away. Bright flashes danced behind the darkness of her eyelids. It was dizzying.

Candela grinned triumphantly. _Those suckers are toast!_ She opened her eyes.

The grin melted away.

The herd was still running. The last of the lightning snapped and fell away. It was as though nothing had even happened! They didn't cry out, didn't stumble, didn't even flinch.

Spark blinked, flabbergasted, too shocked to speak. Candela desperately pounded on the ice barrier.

"Let me in, you ass!" she screamed. She hissed under her breath. _Why am I even asking her for help? The bastard's head is too high up in her own rear._

She called her Pokemon back into their Pokeballs. Spark's eyes widened, then crinkled in confusion. "W-What are you doing?"

"Solving this on my own. Thanks for all your help," she added sarcastically.

Then, "Charmeleon, use smokescreen!"

Before the rolling smoke covered everything in sight, she held a breath and shut her eyes. Groped blindly for Charmeleon's paw. Once she had a tight hold, she rushed the two of them away. A thick, choking fog crowded around them, pressing down on her shoulders. Her legs churned thickly. It was like running through a swamp. Her lungs heaved for breath. She shoved the urge away.

 _Keep on moving, keep on moving._

A pulse pounded in her temples. Her ribs seemed impossibly tight, crushing her. Her lungs screamed. Every step was dizzying. Light-headed.

She couldn't take it any longer. Desperately, she made one leaping jump, legs parting wide. Landed. Nearly stumbled. Candela covered her face in the crook of her elbow, the smoke lapping at her hair. Thick and churning.

Her lungs threatened to burst. Her mind was shrieking at her. _Air! Air! Air!_

Candela couldn't do it. She couldn't run any longer. With a large heave, she opened her mouth wide, inhaled-

-and breathed in sweet, sweet air.

The smoke was far behind her now. Above the throbbing of her head, she could make out the pounding of many hooves. Charmeleon let go of her hand. Tipping its head to one side, it asked, _"Char?"_

Its worried expression was so much different from its usual scowl.

After gulping in a few more breaths, Candela gave a shuddering chuckle and squeezed its shoulder.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Look, it's all crooked now." The bandana around its neck was more gray than red now, covered in dirty soot. She adjusted it.

"There. You're handsome again."

 _"_ _Char."_

The ground shuddered beneath them, rumbled and groaned like a giant beast. She dropped to a crouch. Charmeleon did the same.

The Tauros bulleted past them, hidden behind the smokescreen. When the earth finally stood still again, the smoke lifted and the last of the stampede was trickling away.

She stood up.

The ice wall shook. Cracked. _Krrsh._ The cracks spidered out in jagged fingers. For a few more heartbeats, the barrier kept its stance. Then, in a great cloud, it shattered into tiny, glittering shards. Charmeleon growled when the white-haired woman stepped out.

Candela stomped over and jabbed a finger in her chest.

"What's the big idea?" she fumed.

Blanche blinked slowly. Gingerly, she brushed the hand away. It infuriated Candela to see her so calm.

"You could have helped! You could have gotten out your Blastoise or Magikarp or whatever dumb thing you had and fired at them with your water cannons! But no! You had to hide behind a hunk of ice like a weakling!"

She glowered and hissed, "I _hate_ weaklings."

Blanche pushed her out of her face. In a matter-of-fact way, she replied coolly, "We both know that even my Blastoise couldn't stop them. Even the Instinct's Raichu didn't leave so much as a scratch."

She flipped her hair over one shoulder and lifted her chin. A silent challenge. Candela wanted to shove her fist so hard into her skull that it cracked.

Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest, controlling herself with a deep breath.

"And let me guess," she sneered. "You _wanted_ to see me trampled. That's what all you Blues are like." Her voice turned spiteful. "No heart at all. You revel in the pain of others. That's what you are."

She still remembered her mother standing proudly against the sun, hair billowing out behind her. Then a white flash. Darkness.

Blanche's gaze hardened.

"I assure you not. I was merely testing your strength to see if I made a good judgement in making you my ally. Apparently, I was wrong."

Candela spluttered, "You expected me to take on a whole herd of Tauros on my own?"

From the undergrowth came a rustle. Then a cough. The top of a blond head. Then Spark stumbled into view, coughing, dusting the smoke from his clothes. He carried the annoyed-looking Jolteon under one arm.

"You're still alive," said Blanche. "A pity."

"Yeah," he coughed. "Thanks to the smokescreen, they didn't notice me at all. What, like, what happened? You normally don't see them attack without reason."

Candela said, "It's been like that lately. The Pokemon's been acting weird. Don't tell me you hadn't noticed."

 _"Char!"_

Charmeleon dashed away, flames already curling from its mouth. In an instant, a Tauros thundered into view. A straggler, left behind from the group.

"Get back, Charmeleon," Candela said. She tossed a Pokeball. "Vine whip!"

Spark ducked just in time as the vines shot over his head. They wrapped around the Tauros. It went down in a cloud of dust.

Its legs churned uselessly, its tongue dangled out of its mouth, and its eyes were glassy and unfocused. Its flanks heaved. Its breathing was labored.

"This doesn't look right," Spark said, brow furrowed.

He reached out to stroke its muzzle. It reared back. "What are you guys going to do with it?"

Candela held out a Pokeball, empty this time. The Tauros vanished in a red beam.

"I'm taking it to Ark Town," she replied, pocketing it. "Maybe the doctors'll have some idea of what it is. Hey, where are you going?"

Blanche didn't even glance back when she said, "Continuing on my own. It's better for me, I think."

"You wanted me to do all the dirty work while you sat back and watched. Is that what you do back at your headquarters? You sit in an air-conditioned room on a swivel chair and bark out orders? I bet that's what you do. I bet you stay inside all day and force your henchmen to work their pants off."

The insults were thrown like sharp-edged rocks, but Blanche didn't react. "I know _I_ would've defeated the Tauros easily." She stopped and cast her a chilly look. "Perhaps if you trained harder, you'd be able to surpass me one day." Then she turned and left.

Candela seethed, "Who the hell does she think she is? _She_ was the one who begged _me_ to help in the first place and-gah!" She grit her teeth and furiously ruffled her hair.

Spark raised a hand. "Sorry to interrupt your temper tantrum, but you guys were working together?" He laughed awkwardly. "No one's ever dreamed of that. I mean, a Mystic and a Valor together? The three Teams have always been separate. It's how it's always been."

"I know," she grumbled. Her hair was a mess. "But I was desperate. The Pokemon are suddenly going nuts. Both trained and feral ones. They start attacking everything they see."

"Really? Good thing Quill'd never do that. Right, girl?"

" _Hisss."_

"I'm serious," Candela snapped. "You don't know how many people and Pokemon I've lost that way." She eyed him up and down. "And if you want to laugh, then it's best if you just go home."

"No, no! This is important to me too. I still have to find my Pidgey. With what you're saying, it's not safe for him to be flying around."

"Hmph. I guess we should stick together. We'd have more of a chance that way. But remember that I am _not_ your friend."

'Of course. To Ark Town it is." He jumped. "Wait. But that's several miles from here!"

"You got a problem?" Red flame streamed out from the Pokeball. In a few more seconds, a streaking mane fluttered in front of them. A single, sharpened horn. Blue hooves.

The Rapidash greeted her with a whinny. A red ribbon was wound around the base of its tail. It pawed the ground when it spotted Spark, and the boy jumped when it raised its horn.

"Easy," Candela coaxed. "He's too stupid to be much of a threat." In one smooth, practiced motion, she swung her leg over its back and heaved herself up. She grinned smugly down at him.

"Um," said Spark. "There's enough room for one more person, so…"

He started toward them, but Rapidash shied away.

"How sad," she said. "Guess I'll have to go on without you. Good luck on finding your Pidgey." She smiled. "That is, if the rogues haven't gotten to it yet."

Something shone in the boy's face then. It startled her. Almost enough to make her slide off her horse. Because the face should have been one of anger. Of fury, even, of hatred. Candela remembered the story of how unstoppable Team Instinct had once been, many decades ago, before she was born. How its people had ravaged the cities and towns, leaving buildings in heaps of rubble and trees, overturned. How they were as power-hungry as the lightning in the heavens, shooting off like electricity to destroy everything they could lay their claws on. Souls as black as rain. As merciless as a thunderstorm, roaring and thrashing no matter how much the screams begged them to stop. And the story told of how it was Team Valor that had finally put them in their place, setting down paper-thin borders that were shaky and skeletal, but nevertheless still there.

The look on the boy's face was strange. It was not one of unbridled, storming rage.

Instead, it could have been disappointment. Hurt, even. Or sadness. It had passed his face so quickly that she wondered if it had only been a trick of the light. But the face had been so open, so raw, that it squeezed her in a painful way.

Briskly, she ordered, "Take me to Ark Town."

The Rapidash set off as a trot. Then it broke into a full-blown gallop, its mane streaming out in the wind, heat curling around Candela but careful not the burn. The forest turned into a blur. Hues of brown and gray flashed past them. Candela did not look back.

 _I won't fall for it,_ she thought. _Good-for-nothing Yellow. He won't fool me._

Rapidash's hooves moved so fast they barely touched the ground. They were a white streak blazing through the forest. A burning glow, as though a star had dipped down to the earth.

Then a faint sound. Over the whistling of the wind. She strained her ears.

"Do you hear that?"

Rapidash snorted.

"Get ready."

Every nerve was alight and ready. She tensed. It was closer now. Closer. Then closer still, until she could almost _feel_ it, whatever it was, hovering at her neck.

She brushed her hand over Rapidash's neck. At the signal, the Pokemon gave a flying jump and twirled around in midair, flames leaping, wavering. It met the opponent head on, fire emptying from its mouth.

Candela's gaze widened. She tightened her grip. "Wait!"

Too late to stop. A ball of fire flew toward him, a glowing red arrow.

"Woah!" he cried out.

Just in time, his Dotrio swerved sharply to the right. The fireball whizzed past him. Dotrio kept running until it was neck-to-neck with Rapidash.

"Hello!" Spark said, flashing her a bright smile. He gave Dotrio a pat. "This is Cerberus."

Candela was too shocked to reply. She blinked a few times. Her mouth gaped open, but there was nothing to say.

Rapidash snorted and pressed closer against Dotrio, trying to run it off the path. The three heads squawked indignantly.

"Stop that," Candela said. Rapidash grumbled under its breath.

The bird was keeping up with the speed surprisingly well. She arched a brow. "That's an awful shade of yellow."

A bowtie was wrapped on the neck of the middle head. It looked deeply offended.

Spark whispered, "Shhh, she's just jealous."

A little louder, he said, "Since we're traveling together, I just think we should get to know each other. You've already met Quill. She never listens to anything I say because she's a spoiled brat. Here's Cerberus. Thor is my Raichu."

"I'm actually not very interes-"

He held up his hand and ticked each finger as he continued, "Then there's Mr. Bean, my Electrode. I found him as a Voltorb next to a dumpster. I also have an Arbok called Medusa. She likes to hug people. A lot. A kid nearly died. She tries her best, though. And last but not least, there's Rhyperior. I named her Susan."

Candela stared at him.

His tone suddenly changed, and he seemed serious now. "So you think an organization's behind all this. Making all the animals go berserk? Could it be Team Rocket?"

She shrugged. "Who knows? Actually, I'd be surprised if it wasn't them."

He finally fell silent. Candela was relieved. It was as though a fist had slowly been crushing her chest; now it let go, and she could breathe again.

The boy scared her. Just a little. He wasn't like anyone she'd known outside of her Team. He didn't leer at her. He didn't spit at her. He wasn't like anything in the stories. Her heart nearly stopped when suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. Why, he didn't even _hate_ her!

In her head, she saw herself and him walking side-by-side, laughing together, chatting for no reason other than for the feeling of talking to another person. The thought shook her. It made her light-headed.

In another universe, could they have been friends?

Rapidash tossed its head. Only then did she realize how hard she was clutching its mane.

"Sorry."

A shadow had fallen over the boy's face. He sat hunched over, shrunken, his fingers fiddling nervously.

He said, "What'll they do to Stormy?"

Candela had crossed the line long ago, from the moment she had allowed herself to speak to Blanche. She was only heading deeper into murky water, into an unknown sea where sharks lurked and danger swam. She ought to keep quiet. Ignore him like he was just a rock, a piece of scenery. They weren't friends. She wasn't doing this for him, but for herself. For her people. For her Team. Candela would do anything to protect Team Valor, even if it meant sacrificing her pride at the hands of Blanche.

So it came as a surprise, a loud roaring surprise, when she found herself saying, "I doubt they'd take a Pidgey."

He perked up, the sadness washing away. "You think so?"

"Your Pokemon are all weak, anyway. Unlike mine."

"Oh?" He grinned. "In that case, I challenge you to a battle!"

His enthusiasm was child-like. She chuckled. "Maybe. Once this is all over."

The trees gave way to open the blue sky above them. "I'll show you how strong Team Valor can be. You have no idea, kid."

Spark threw his arms up. "Whoo! Let's go, Cerberus! Full steam ahead!"


	6. Chapter 6

The water churned and frothed, lapping at the banks with its silver tongue. As the river flowed northward, it carried bits of the sky with it: pink and gold, glittering blue and black, as the sun sank into the horizon and died in a burst of color. The waters parted against Gyrados's sleek scales. Blanche was perched against its shoulder. She scanned her surroundings. Keydin Forest-part of Team Valor's territory-had given way to a countryside of flowing golden grass, as soft as a brush of a fairy's hair.

Even now, as she traveled up the wide river, she kept her shoulders tense, her ears pricked. This part of the land still belonged to Valor, with its spies as numerous as the rats in a grain house. She pried the fields with her eyes, combed over the territory for a quick flicker of movement, any shadows that darted on their own, any crunch of leaves that might signal a watchdog.

It was quiet tonight. Inwardly, she sighed in relief.

Gyrados rumbled. She stroked its scales.

"No one knows when the Great War started," she murmured. "Some say that it had no beginning. That it had existed for as long as time itself." Something white hovered at the edge of her vision. She tilted her head up to gaze at the moon, fat and round and impossibly bright.

"I can't help but think," she said carefully, "what it would be like if it wasn't like this. If I could just come and go as I pleased without glancing behind my back, without fear or worry, because the world would have no borders."

At this, Gyrados gave a noise of surprise.

"I know. It's a silly idea, isn't it?"

It rumbled again, a throaty thunder from deep within its chest.

The countryside began to thin out. Team Valor's territory was far behind them now. Ark Town was just below the ridge. A neutral town, she knew, where it belonged to neither team. A safe place.

And, Blanche hoped, it was where she'd find her answers.

"Thank you," she said, as she jumped down from the Pokemon's back.

" _Gyrr?"_ It asked. It lowered its mighty head, and up close, she could see the glint of worry in its big rolling eyes. Blanche scratched its chin.

"Don't worry. I'll do everything I can. I promise."

Once it was tucked safely into its Pokeball, she made her way toward the town washed in moonlight.

Even from this distance, she could tell something was off. The roads lay empty, barren. She was the only person in the entire street. Her footsteps were uncomfortably loud. Not a breeze stirred. _Strange_ , she thought. It wasn't that late of a night. A glint of sun could still be seen behind the mountains. So why was it so empty? Every window she peered into was either dark or drawn shut with curtains. She could feel the tension in the air, thick enough to cut with a knife. Despite her coat, she shivered and drew her collar over her chin.

The wind here was unfriendly.

Should she call out? Should she knock?

Blanche strode through the quiet streets at a brisk pace, holding it out for as long as she could. Finally, she made up her mind. Drawing herself up to a random house, she knocked on the door.

Nothing happened. No voices, no frantic scuffling, no creaking floorboards. She counted to twenty five. Still nothing.

She was beginning to wonder if this town had been deserted when, ever so slowly, something unlocked. The door creaked. A crack appeared, no wider than her thumb, and beyond that was only darkness.

Then an eye. It studied her for a heartbeat. Then- _zip!_ -back into the darkness, like a snail into its shell or a beetle scuttling back into its hole. She could make out muffled whispers.

"This is the leader of Team Mystic," she said loudly. "I came because there was trouble."

"We know who you are," answered an old, wheezy voice. Blanche imagined an aging tree, gnarled and knotted and ancient.

"The witch of Agnesi," it said. It hesitated.

The voice suddenly hardened. "And what kind of trouble could this be? Have you come to finally lay claim to this place? Ark Town has belonged to no one but itself. Agnesi herself promised that seventeen years ago. You have forgotten?"

The eye peered out at her, squinted, as though trying to find the person named Agnesi in the woman standing before it. Blanche imagined it to feel quite disappointed. She had inherited the same pale hair, but that was all. None of Agnesi's courage or wisdom.

The eye seemed to realize this.

"Of course I haven't," Blanche said quietly. "My mother knew what she was doing." She raised her chin. "If I am not mistaken, you still have yet to repay her kindness."

The eye disappeared.

Blanche waited. She watched how the fallen leaves dappled the sidewalk in golden freckles, stirred to life by the chilled wind. The moon glowed softly. A silver halo shimmered behind it, and the stars were awake. They blinked down at her. With her skilled eye, she scanned the night sky, searching.

There. It shone more brilliantly than the rest of them, a diamond against black velvet. The Orphic Star. If anyone else peered too closely, all they'd see was one lone dot, blinking by itself in the night. But she knew better, because the Orphic Star was no ordinary star. It was in the shape of an eye, shimmering and blinking, washing the land of Team Mystic with its gentle light.

 _And even if you closed your eyes, you'd still see it because it burns so brightly. It follows you wherever you go, and no matter where you are, it'll always find you. So don't feel lonely, alright?_

Someone had told her that once. But who had it been? Why did the voice sound so familiar?

The door began to creak once more. The darkness widened. She waited. Then she stepped inside.

It took a while for her eyes to adjust. There was no light. A couch and lamp were settled into a corner. A wooden table in front. Rooms out back, a T.V., a bookcase, a hallway. She took it all in. There was a kitchen to her right, judging from the faint outline of a pot. Only then did she notice the people.

There was a middle-aged woman hunched over on the sofa, a little boy-girl?-in her arms. Then an old man. Even before he spoke, she could fit the voice with his face, an aging tree. Gnarled and knotted and ancient. He hobbled on a cane. A white mustache tickled his upper lip. Wrinkles were carved into his face like the crinkled lines in a ball of paper.

As she studied him, she realized that _he_ was peering at her as well. His brow furrowed close together. Then drew apart, his head tilting up and down to take in her height. He was only tall enough to reach her ribs.

Blanche saw it coming from a mile away. In a split second, she jerked her arm up and caught his cane with a fist, before it could whack her on the head.

The old man smiled. "Well." he chuckled. "Maybe you _are_ Agnesi's

daughter after all."

She surveyed the room. "Why is it so dark?"

"Wouldn't want to draw attention to ourselves. It's best to lay low."

"You're hiding from something. Who is it?"

The old man hesitated then. His eyes flickered back and forth, first to the middle-aged woman (his daughter?) and the child, then back to Blanche. He coughed.

"How much do you know?" he asked.

"I know enough to see that we are all in great danger. The Pokemon are attacking left and right. If this keeps happening, no one will be safe from them. I need to find out why they're doing this."

"Yes." He sighed and made his way over to the couch. His bones creaked once he sat down. He winced. The child-Blanche could see it to be a girl now-jumped on his lap.

"If it's been happening in the towns too, then I can't imagine how worse it must be in the forest," he said. "That's why we lock ourselves in. Hardly anyone goes out in the mornings or evenings. Only during noon. But there's something else." He leaned forward. "There was a siege here just a few weeks ago."

Blanche sprang to defend herself. "It wasn't my Team."

"I never said it was. These people were dressed all in black. They stole a lot of things. Jewelry. Food. Electronics. But strangely, the things they were most interested in were the Pokemon. Pokeballs, trained ones, wild ones, you name it. We tried our best to fight back."

"Did you see where they went?"

"Once there was nothing left to take, they stormed out north. I apologize." He bowed his head. "That probably doesn't help you."

"It's good enough for me," she replied. _I was right after all._ This wasn't an ordinary accident. There were people, actual people, behind it. She lost herself in her thoughts. Just what did they want? To attack the towns? But what for?

Blanche blinked. A quiet scraping had started up. Somewhere in the ceiling. She raised her eyes and scanned it.

 _Scritch, scritch, scritch._ A muffled banging. Rustling.

The girl whimpered and buried herself into the old man's arms. He nodded gravely. "It's started."

The scratching grew stronger. The beating of skin against skin. It took Blanche a few more seconds to realize it was the sound of wings.

His eyes grew round. Even from the gloom, she could see how they jumped, how they quivered.

"It happens every night, once the sun goes down. They keep trying to break in. It's the same trouble with the other houses too. No one ever gets any rest. Can you help us?"

The little girl gazed up at her, and she could see how the old man's arms trembled as he wrapped them around the girl. How frail he was! His arms were only a pair of withered twigs, yet he still pulled her close to his chest, as though he could protect her from the thing upstairs. A sheet of paper holding up against a torrent of bullets. A mouse against a lion.

Blanche watched them for a few minutes longer. Then, without a word, she turned and followed the sound. It took her up a flight of stairs. Down a pitch-black hallway. She put out her hand and let the wall guide her. The beating of wings grew louder. Louder. Louder. Until it was the only thing she could hear.

The attic door hovered, bathed in shadow. Blanche fingered a Pokeball. Hesitated. Then, slowly, she placed her hand on the door and heard the wood creak as it opened. The muffled noises didn't stop. Instead, they grew louder until it roared in her ears. Too dark to see. Just a sea of blackness. The smell of dust. And a high pitched squeaking that hurt her ears. As quickly as she came, despite the frantic pounding of her heart, she banged the attic door closed behind her and whirled around to face whatever lurked in the shadows.

Blanche couldn't make out what it was. Wings slapped against her face, her entire body, stinging her, beating her down. The squeaking grew angrier, more insistent, until her ears rang with it. Then came the pain. Needle-like, tiny nips that quickly grew overwhelming. She fell into a crouch and covered her face with an arm.

"Scizor, come out!"

The bright flash of the Pokeball only lit up the room for a few seconds, but it was enough. She saw tiny shapes darting through the air. Hundreds of them. They slashed at her skin with their sharp wings, bit her, tangled themselves into her hair. A whole flurry of swarming, squeaking Zubats. Blanche caught sight of the attic window. The glass had been broken. She sucked in a startled breath. Never had she seen this many in one place! Why were they drawn into the old man's attic, desperate enough to break through a window to get in here?

Blanche winced as another struck her, catching her cheek with its fangs until a wetness dribbled out.

" _Scizor!"_ Her Pokemon moved to shield her, but Blanche stepped back and commanded, "Bullet punch! Take out as many as you can!"

" _Scizor."_

Scizor's claws began to glow white, pulsing with energy. When the horde of Zubats flew in once again to attack her, Scizor stepped in front and fought back with blows of its own. The burning glow was enough for her to make out the tiny bodies as they fell back, some plummeting to the ground, others crashing into the wall with the force of it. Her pulse raced.

"Excellent, Scizor! Drive them back through the window!"

Scizor reared back and raised its claws. Then, with a mighty lunge, it slammed its fists full force into the torrent. The Zubats whirled backwards, squeaking furiously.

But something strange happened.

The Zubats didn't escape out the window. They didn't run away at all. Instead, they backed off into a corner. It seemed that they were studying her, looking her up and down as one would squint at a difficult puzzle, scrutinizing her.

It was only when they started moving again did she finally realize. They rose as one. They beat their wings in perfect unison, as though they were puppets controlled by string. The squeaking had stopped. It was a hulking black swarm made up of hundreds, all flying together in the same pace, moving their wings all at the same time. Up, down, up, down, with a wind strong enough to threaten her backwards. Her hair whipped wildly against her face.

She saw what was coming, like the old man's cane rushing toward her. "Scizor, get behind me!" A hint of fear in her voice, of panic.

Enough time to curl her fingers around a second Pokeball. The monster rose toward her like a tidal wave. The gust from their wings blew back her coat so that it struggled away from her with a life of its own.

 _My last chance._

If she acted too soon, the Zubats would see it coming and dodge it before it hit them. But if she was too slow, they'd tear her to pieces.

 _Come on._ She breathed in deeply and closed her eyes. _Slow down._ Calmness washed over her. Instantly, her flaring pulse was snuffed to a low drumming. Her eyes opened. The attic seemed to quiver at its edges. Her ears pulsed with a low humming.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. The swiping of each Zubat's wing was like a leaf fluttering to the ground. Their fangs gleamed white as needles. They closed in, closer and closer.

She didn't look away. Didn't flinch.

Closer still. Their mouths were open wide. Wings flapped as slow as bumblebees flitting lazily from flower to flower.

Then as close as she dared. If she wanted to, she could reach out a hand and touch them.

 _Now!_

"Hydro pump!"

 _Hrooommmm!_ Blastoise's cannons slammed into them with a force powerful enough to snap steel beams like sticks. Water surged out at breakneck speed, ramming into the flock and blasting them with a heavy wave, faster than she could blink. Crushing them, pounding them into dust.

All that was left was a ripping hole in the side of the attic. The stars peered through. Highlighted beneath the moon were the Zubats, some crushed and lying still at her feet, others twitching. Blanche heaved a shuddering, relieved sigh.

Her eyes narrowed as she crouched down at the body of one of the Zubats. It squeaked feebly and attempted to stand up. Its wings flopped weakly. She reached out to brush its fur, searching.

There.

A single curved scar. The shape of a lightning bolt, smaller than a fingernail. But Blanche's keen eyes saw it all. She huffed and stepped back, her hands clenching into fists.

Scizor tilted its head to one side. " _Sci?"_ it rasped in its metallic voice.

"Leave them. They're not a threat now. But we have to hurry."

The Zubats. The Tauros. They weren't normal. Something had made them group together into herds, into swarms, to attack and reign havoc on everything they saw. An ordinary Zubat would flee as soon as it saw Scizor's power. But these ones hadn't. They hadn't an ounce of fear. And no Zubat she came across had ever attacked like this, teaming up with one another to match each other's movements perfectly. Just what were they doing in the old man's attic?

"It's like someone's controlling them," she murmured.

She touched it again, searching for any other marks in its fur. Nothing except for the scar. How did they do it?

"Come on."

Blastoise blinked at her.

The old man and the woman were waiting for her down the stairs. They were huddled in the kitchen, hiding, holding each other close. Blanche wondered how noisy the fight must have been.

"A whole swarm of Zubats," she told them. "Another thing to add on the list."

"Thank you," the old man breathed.

"You're bleeding!" the woman fretted. "I'll get you some bandages."

With a start, Blanche realized that her nose was cut. A long one had been slashed onto a cheek, along with countless bite marks on her arms that welled up with blood. They stung. She hadn't noticed the pain until now.

"No," she replied. "I have to go as soon as I can. Will you point me to Professor Willow's lab?"

"Just down the street. A big, white round building. You won't miss it."

She nodded at them, turned, and began to walk.

The little girl suddenly piped up. "They took my Togepi." Her voice quivered. "Please, can you bring her back? She must be really scared."

Blanche didn't stop. She stepped out the door. Before she left, she told her, "I'm not a hero with a cape. You should have taken better care of it."

But she didn't say no.

* * *

Beams of shimmering moonlight shone down on shards of glass strewn haphazardly on the floor, twisted metal rods, cracked walls and overturned tables. Books lay dying like broken white-feathered birds. All the doors had been thrown off their hinges. Metal machines stood sullenly and stared at her as she passed by, their systems dead and ruined.

Blanche stepped over a pipe on the ground and meandered down the hallway.

"Do you remember this place, Vaporeon?"

It shook its head as it padded beside her.

"Of course. You were too young. Only an Eevee when the Professor gave you to me. I don't exactly remember him either." She wasn't sure whether to feel bad or not. If she tried, she could recall how the summer sun outside had breathed fire onto her skin, but the air inside the lab was cool and right. Golden rays of sun peered in through the windows. The professor had been kind to her, she remembered. She could take in pieces here and there, of graying hair, a white lab coat, a warm hand clasped over her own. But that was it. She couldn't picture a face.

The summer heat left and once again she felt the chill of the autumn night seeping down her neck. Glass cracked under her shoes. A part of the ceiling had fallen away, and she ducked to avoid walking into a jumble of wires that tumbled out of it.

This place wasn't old. Blanche could tell from the footprints on the floor, how the computers' screens were still warm. This had all happened today, maybe this morning. All the eggs had been stolen. The Pokeballs and Pokemon too, and all the research papers from the drawers. She could guess that the important files on the computers had been swiped, too.

The halls frustrated her. The lab was much too big. If only she could find the camera room, she could go through the security tapes and see who had been here this morning...

" _Mach!"_

Blanche ducked down into another room. "You found something?"

Machoke showed her a box on an overturned desk. Some kind of recording device. She pressed the button and listened.

 _The sound of glass shattering. Something metallic was wrenched and thrown across a room with a loud crash. 'No, don't-'_ A man's voice, twisted in fear.

Static. The broken machine relooped and played again on its own.

 _Glass breaking. Something heavy crashing into a wall. 'No, don't-'_

It replayed again. Then one more time. Finally, it sputtered and slowed to a drawl before stopping at last. Was it Willow? She didn't know.

Sighing, Blanche got to her feet again. This was going to be a long night.

Vaporeon stopped her with its tail. The fur on its back bristled. "What's wrong?"

She stared in its direction. Her line of vision was blocked by a heap of desks and chairs. She couldn't see past it. Cautiously, with Machoke by her side, she made her way toward it. Her feet echoed on the floor.

"I know you're there. Stop hiding. Show yourself and it will be much easier for the both of us."

Machoke growled.

Blanche crouched down until she was face to face with an opening in the rubble. She peered inside.

Then froze. The hairs on the back of her neck rose. A chill ran down her spine. She didn't dare breathe, didn't dare move. Her eyes widened as she found herself staring down the barrel of a gun.

The woman stared at her with a stricken expression. One lens of her glasses was cracked. Black hair cascaded down her shoulders, and she wore a dirtied lab coat.

 _One of Willow's assistants,_ Blanche thought. She met the woman's gaze.

The gun faltered, then fell away.

"You're the ice witch," the woman breathed. She gave a tired laughter that was more of a quivering sigh. "It isn't every day that Team Mystic's leader herself comes to visit us. I'm afraid you've come too late to stop them."

"I know."

The woman parted the chairs away and stood, dusting herself off. "You may call me Sara. I work for Professor Willow. Or, well, used to work for him. There's no telling where he is now." She offered her a hand. Blanche didn't take it.

"Tell me what happened here."

"Yes, well. Follow me."

Blanche kept her distance as they walked through the winding hallway, knowing enough to stay wary. She eyed the woman's gun poking through her lab coat and wondered if she'd be quick enough to dodge a bullet.

Could she trust her?

Sara disappeared into a room. Blanche lingered outside. Steeling herself, she followed her in.

The camera room. A wall was covered with black, empty screens, half of them splintered. For a frightening second, Blanche wondered if this really was a trap, if she had led her here to corner her. But in a blinding instant, Sara pressed a button and a few of the screens lit up. The videos rewound to the beginning of the day. The lobby, the studyroom, the incubators, the front desk. Blanche watched as the scenes fast forwarded: a group of armed people swarming in through the front desk, breaking doors and windows. Dressed all in black, just as the old man said. Like a flood, they swirled through the halls, tearing down books from bookshelves, surrounding the lab workers, shattering the incubators. They rummaged through drawers and shouted words she couldn't hear. The swarm left as quickly as it came, taking the workers with them. It was all done so quickly, so orderly. _They had planned this,_ Blanche realized. This wasn't an ordinary ragtag group of thieves. She whisked through them with her mind. Team Rocket? No. Team Aqua? Magma? Not them, either.

"I locked myself into a storage room," Sara said. She had been talking for a while now. Blanche hadn't bothered to listen. "They probably took Willow and the rest of the people with them for their research and knowledge. I don't know what they plan on doing with them. Have you noticed the Pokemon lately? They aren't acting as they should."

"Have you run tests on them? Have you found any results?"

Sara sighed tiredly. "No. No chemicals in their bloodstream. No man-made devices attached to them. What we did found, however, were strange marks on their bodies."

Blanche gestured impatiently. "Shaped like lightning bolts?"

Sara blinked in surprise. "Yes. That's exactly it. We have no idea what it could mean. No Team we know has an insignia exactly like it. Except, of course, Team Instinct."

Blanche waved it off. "It can't be them. They're having as much trouble as we are." _Not to mention what their leader is like…_

"So what are you going to do now?" Sara turned to her, searching silently for answers. Blanche had none.

Her phone rang. Sara jumped at the sudden noise, impossibly loud in the silent room. Blanche fished it out, alarm coursing through her. "Yes?"

" _This_ _is Clark from Unit 34. All clear in Honoway, Hoenn."_

"You haven't spotted anything unusual in the city?"

" _No, ma'am. It probably hasn't spread this far yet. We're still awaiting reports from Units 33 and 35."_

"Alright. Move onto the next city."

" _Roger."_

Sara was staring at one of the screens, a hand on her chin. The blue glow illuminated her furrowed brow. The corners of her mouth tugged into a worried frown. Blanche followed her gaze. She caught a flurry of movement.

So they weren't alone after all.

She turned briskly out the door. Sara caught up to her. "Where are you going? What are you going to do?"

"Out."

"But...what about me?"

"I suggest you stop talking and stay low to the ground."

"You're...not taking me with you?" Her face held an expression of hurt, but Blanche didn't bother glancing at her.

"I don't need you tagging along. You'll only slow me down." Once they reached the hallway, she stopped abruptly. Sara nearly crashed into her.

Blanche took in her long black hair, tangled now and frazzled against her face. Her eyes behind her glasses, wide and frightened. The trembling of her shoulders. The quivering lower lip. Blanche's eyelid twitched. How messy.

Blanche kept her farewell short and pointed. "Thank you for all your trouble. We part here. Good luck."

The woman bit her lip and nodded. Without sparing another precious second, Blanche whirled around and hurried on her way, her steps quick and frantic. Vaporeon had to run to keep up. Machoke led the way.

The movement had been in Camera B, she remembered, so there was enough time to get out before they could see her. The front entrance was in the opposite side. Perfect.

She was nearly there when, without warning, a loud clanging racket split her head in half. It caught her off guard. She spun around. It sounded like someone swinging a metal rod. Footsteps. Heavy, not a woman's.

" _Mach?"_ Machoke asked.

Sara's voice cut through the darkness. Shrill with panic.

"Don't come any closer! I'm warning you!"

Then, "Help!"

Blanche only quickened her pace. She continued toward the front door, blocking out the scream. _I don't have time for this,_ she thought.

She was nearly there when another noise broke through. It was enough to send her skidding to a halt, like a runaway train slamming on its brakes.

Gunshots. _Bam! Bam!_ They rang around the empty room, bounced through her skull, made her ears ring and her bones quake. Her pulse shuddered in her ears. Her heart pounded like a drum.

"Oh, for Arceus's sake," she growled, slapping a hand across her forehead. "I've got more important things to do!"

 _Calm,_ she told herself, drawing in a deep breath. A wave washed over her. _That woman owes me._

Blanche turned back the way she came and started to run. "Machoke! Karate chop!"

The Pokemon barged past her, its powerful legs taking in yards with each stride. Blanche rounded the corner just in time to see it collide with a person she didn't recognize. A person dressed all in black.

 _They're here. But why had they come back?_

Machoke roared and hurtled him into the opposite wall. He connected with a sickening crunch, then slid down where he lay, dazed. Sara was backed up into the corner, her gun still smoking and her face pale and clammy. There were three other people with them, two men and a woman, all in black. This should be easy. They hadn't been expecting their prey to fight back.

Machoke bellowed and charged at him. It raised its fists and lashed out in a series of punches, so fast they were blurs. It drove the man backwards, and no matter how hard he dug his heels in, Machoke forced him back, the blows pounding on his shoulders, his ribs, his head.

But Blanche wasn't expecting _this._

The man let himself be driven for a few more feet, before suddenly latching his hands onto Machoke's large shoulders. The Pokemon grunted in surprise as, slowly but surely, the man began to push it the other way. It raised its fist again to strike a blow, but the man caught it, his arm a blur of speed. She could see how hard Machoke was straining, every muscle twitching, yet the man kept his grip on both its fists and stopped the punches from raining down.

 _What?_ How did he do it? Blanche noticed the muscles rippling beneath the man's clothes. But what human was strong enough to stop a Machoke?

Arms wrapped themselves around her waist. She jerked away. "Vaporeon!"

The arms unwound as a blue blur soared into the air and knocked the other man to the ground, striking his stomach so hard he cried out. Blanche wrenched herself back to Machoke. She gasped. _No!_

To her dismay, the man was carrying Machoke on his shoulders, lifting up a hundred pounds of pure muscle as though the Pokemon was lighter than a feather. No matter how hard it thrashed, the man kept an iron-hard grip on it. The muscles beneath his clothes quivered. He hesitated for a while, his breathing heavy as he struggled under the weight. _It can't be real,_ Blanche thought. _He can't possibly-_

His knees buckled from under him. With a grunt, he hurtled Machoke with all his might. A loud _whumf!_ A deafening crash, a thud, the sound of something breaking. The wall threatened to collapse as the bulk of Machoke drove into it, splintering wood and steel. Then dust. A great cloud of dust.

Blanche took a step back, her legs quivering. Just who was he? Who were these people? She whirled around and, with a stab of shock, realized she was surrounded. The Muscle Man had turned toward her, his chest heaving. On the other side of her was the third person. A woman. The second man was still writhing on the ground, his breath knocked out of him. Vaporeon hissed. Blanche slid her gaze from person to person, eyeing them up and down, taking in their strengths, their weaknesses. Two people against one. She could do this, couldn't she? The muscular man had just been lucky. Next time, Machoke wouldn't let its guard down.

Her throat was dry. Sweat trickled down her neck. And there was a droning noise, a strange buzzing, tickling the back of her mind. She tipped her head to one side and listened. _Brzzzzzz…_

Sara cried, "Look out!"

Blanche felt something coming. A change in the air. She ducked down, and right as she did, a blast of wind buffeted her face. She scrambled back just in time before a sharpened drill could pierce her neck. It drove into the ground seconds where her head had been, fast enough to split the wind in two, to whip her hair back and sting her eyes. It struck again, lightning quick. She lurched to the right, forgetting to breathe. So close! When it came again, she threw herself to the left, wincing as it caught the side of her face.

A Beedrill. But not an ordinary one. _Brrrrrrrz._ When it moved back, she stopped, breaths coming in gasps, hair tangled over her eyes. This one was big, much too big. She could see her reflection in its angry red glare. Eyes the size of dinner plates. Antenna whirring, twitching, tapping the air. Wings thrumming behind it, larger than palm fronds. Its drills as sharp and deadly as needles. Blanche stared at it for a moment longer. Her eyes shifted to what lay behind it. Sara backed up against the wall, staring at her with wide, frightened eyes. Machoke was once again locked hand-in-hand with the man, straining to throw him to the ground.

Blanche studied the Beedrill for a moment longer. She sucked in a deep breath. When the drills struck again, she was ready. She boosted herself to her feet in one quick hop and swept over to Sara, catching her by the arm.

"You aren't escaping us," said a cool, clipped voice.

She spun around. The woman clad in black. It was the first time any of them had spoken, and the voice chilled her to the bone.

Fur brushed against her ankles, and suddenly Vaporeon was there again, lunging at the woman. At the opening, Blanche tugged Sara's arm and sped away, breaking into a run. Her coat trailed behind her, feet clattering against the ground.

"Machoke! Vaporeon!"

At her command, they drew back from the fight and raced after her. Blanche had enough time to fish out their Pokeballs and send them back inside.

Sara panted beside her. "Are you crazy?" she gasped. "What did you do that for?"

"Too dangerous."

"But they're _supposed_ to fight!"

"Did you see the size of that Beedrill?"

"Yes, but…" It dawned on her then. "You don't think they're...doing something to the Pokemon? Experiments?" Her hands flew up to her mouth. "Is that why...they tried to steal-"

Blanche gave a short nod. Another clue to add onto the list. Was that the reason why they had been kidnapping them? In any case, she couldn't risk them getting their hands on her own Pokemon.

Not after they took Steelix.

The gang wasn't far off. Footsteps echoed all along the corridor. A strange, metallic song. The steady thundering of buzzing wings.

"There's another exit in the back," Sara said. "Follow me."

The stinging of wind, the flash of black and yellow. Sara screamed. Blanche had just enough time to jerk her back, snapping her away from the angry, spinning needles. Her breath caught in her throat as her foot slipped, and before she could blink, she found the two of them careening down a flight of stairs. She winced. Her shoulder caught on one of the steps, her foot banged the side of the railing. The ceiling became the floor, the floor the ceiling. Which way was up? Her arms flailed wildly. Sara crashed on top of her. The world jerked back to stillness.

Blanche lay there for a few seconds, winded and confused. _Hruummmm!_

At the buzzing, she sat up with a gasp and placed a neat, well-placed kick right between the Beedrill's eyes. It reared back, hissing.

She staggered up. "Come on!"

They stumbled away. Blanche could see that this was some sort of basement, with stacks and stacks of boxes. At the sound of approaching footsteps, she pushed Sara behind one of them, squeezing herself in between a box and the wall. She peered out and waited with bated breath.

With a sinking heart, she realized that the Beedrill was blocking the stairs, the only way out. The footsteps grew louder and ran down the staircase. The people from before. They scanned the room.

Blanche turned back to Sara. "We have to be fast. Faster than the Beedrill. When I tell you to, stand up and run up the stairs as quick as you can. Don't wait for me, don't look back, and don't hesitate for even a second. Understand?"

"Yes, but will you get out too?"

"I told you already. I can take care myself." She didn't look at her, but kept her eyes fixed on the men.

But what she said next caught Blanche's attention.

"You know," said Sara slowly. "You're a lot different from what the others say."

Their eyes met. "They call you the Ice Witch. The North Wind. I've heard of the things you've done, the things you're capable of. But…"

Blanche knew what she was going to say even before she said it.

Sara said suddenly, "The Professor had something to give you. Did you know that?"

"Something to give me…?"

"He told me a few years back, that he was waiting for the right

Moment to tell you. Even then, I could tell by the way he said it that it was important. Very important. He wouldn't tell it to anyone, not even to me. You have to find him. No matter what happens, you have to keep him and that secret safe, away from these men."

It settled onto Blanche like the settling of leaves after the rain. She nodded. Willow had meant to talk to her? What could be so important as to-

Sara was talking again, her voice rising in urgency. "My gun is out of bullets, but I can still fight. Now listen closely. Once you go up those stairs, head straight down the corridor and turn right at the first chance you get. That'll take you to the lobby. Go left from there, then another left, and-"

"What are you doing?"

"-and there's an emergency exit at the door closest to the right of the room. Can you remember all that?"

"Sara, don't you dare-"

Sara stood up and yelled, "I'm over here! Come and get me!"

The men were taken off guard. Beedrill was the first to move. It zipped toward her, a yellow blur, needles outstretched. She dodged it just in time before it could pierce her, and the Beedrill had to veer off and turn in mid-air to find her again.

Blanche stood up shakily. "Sara, take my hand, we can-"

"Find the Professor!" she spat back. "I'll hold them off for as long as I can!"

Blanche hesitated. Then her mind turned and she made a choice. One of the burly men was running toward her. She stayed still, and right when he had shot out a hand to grab her, she punched his stomach as hard as she could and swerved away. His legs buckled beneath him. She jerked toward the staircase. The second man loomed into her vision. Bunching up her muscles, she bounded upward in a graceful leap and planted her foot onto his face. She felt his nose crunch beneath her. It gave her enough force to propel her forward the rest of the way, and she staggered as she dropped to the floor, nearly falling.

An arm shot out and latched onto her wrist, a bone-crushing grip that made her wince. From her waist came a flash of blinding white. The man jerked back with a pitiful howl as Vaporeon leaped out and sank its fangs into his arm, snarling.

"Vaporeon," she gasped. The Pokemon ran to her side and gazed up at her with a defiant look. Blanche nodded. They'd do this together.

She took the stairs three steps at a time. Her feet went _pit-a-pat_ against the ground. Her blood roared in her ears. Before she left, she risked a last glance back. The girl was pinned beneath the Beedrill, and the men were closing in on her like lions circling their prey. She jerked her gaze forward and ran faster.

Despite herself, something in her heart fell. _Sara…_

She shook her head. No! Her emotions were getting in the way again. Keeping the girl with her would only slow her down. She pushed the thoughts of Sara away and pressed it down.

 _Right, left, left._

She turned this way and that along the winding halls. So far so good. No sound of footsteps behind her.

The door greeted her when she rounded the corner. At last!

A shadow spilled out across the floor. She was just beginning to turn around when something hard slammed into the back of her skull. Explosion of pain. A redness filled her vision. The last thing she saw was the face of the woman dressed all in black, her eyes glittering coldly.

* * *

 _Warm. The sun was warm like her mother's touch, bathing the waist-high meadow grass in a pool of gold. Birds trilled in the undergrowth, but no matter how hard she looked, she could never find anything. Just echoes of their song, flashes of their feathers. For a moment, she forgot who she was, what she was doing, and just wanted to stand there in the sun._

 _Eevee squirmed restlessly in her arms._

Blanche awoke with a start. It was cold. Her lips were numb and her fingers ached. The back of her head throbbed like fire, and it took her a few tries to open her eyes.

When she did, she immediately sat up. Bad idea. Her head burst in an explosion of pain. Stars danced in the back of her eyes. It took a few minutes for it to die down, and she picked her head up. Metal bars. A cage. The metal chilled her to the bone. Her hands were bound behind her back with a tight rope that left angry red scratches.

The first thing she checked was the belt of Pokeballs she kept around her waist. Bile rose in the back of her throat and her head threatened to reel again. Gone. All the Pokeballs she had brought with her. Angrily, she brushed the wetness from her eyes and suddenly remembered. It came like a sudden spark. Vaporeon. It must have managed to take all her Pokeballs and escape after she'd been knocked out. The walls had been riddled with holes and cracks, the right size for it to wiggle through. At least, it was what she hoped. She wished it with all her soul.

The room was gray. Cement walls. Nothing else except for a spiderweb in a corner and her own cage. It was hardly big enough to move around in, and the bars held a wet and snuffed smell. Like fur. She wondered if a Pokemon had once crouched here in the same exact spot. Where was it now?

Her head snapped back up at the sound of a door opening. Always the steady throbbing behind her skull. Her mouth was dry, her lips cracked, and she stared down the people that entered with a white-hot ferocity.

The muscular man grunted and made his way toward her with a lumbering, threatening gait. The woman placed an arm out to stop him. Blanche didn't like the look of her. Calculating yet lazy eyes, like a dozing cat hiding its claws beneath its fur. She didn't like how that gaze slid coolly over her, as smooth as water, eyeing her like a piece of prey.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance," Blanche told her. When no reply came, she added, "My men are already on their way. They're all over the town. They know where I am." Which was a bold lie, but she kept her voice strong and unwavering. She glared back at the older woman's thorn-hard gaze.

Finally, the woman spoke. Blanche was surprised at how normal she sounded. "Not to worry, my dear." It was then that Blanche noticed the woman was older, much older. Lines creased the corners of her mouth, but that was it. No other wrinkles. Her long hair was pitch black without a strand of white, and her figure was curved and feminine. Yet, Blanche got the feeling that this woman was elderly, a butterfly with worn yet still pretty wings.

The woman stood before her. "You aren't leaving this place alive. Tell us all you know."

"I've seen the security footage. I know where you took Professor Willow, and if you were smart, you'd best be on your way now. I've already signaled my team. They'll make you think twice about crossing Team Mystic."

The woman tutted and waved her finger disapprovingly. "Best not to make such rude remarks, dear. You're not exactly in a position to fight."

Despite herself, Blanche bristled. Something about this woman set her nerves alight, made her teeth ache. Just like the Tauros from earlier, the Zubats, this woman felt...wrong. Somehow.

The woman turned her back to her, her smooth hair swishing across her spine. "Judging by the glare on your face, I assume you have no idea who we are. Let me explain. What do you notice about the man over there?"

The man? The muscular man, who could fling a Machoke like it was a sack of flour. He scowled at her.

"He's got a poor set of manners," she answered. Behind her, she wiggled her arms and tested the ropes. Too tight.

The woman sashayed over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Ah, but what else?"  
Blanche grit her teeth. "He's a construction worker?" She wiggled cautiously. Luckily the room was rundown, with bits and pieces of the curling wall scattered everywhere. Her fingers nudged something on the floor, something smooth and cold.

The woman feigned disappointment. "Now Blanche, I've heard you were a clever, intelligent individual. Apparently, I was wrong. You see here? He's no ordinary human. He can lift a car with both hands. He can lift _two_ cars, even, if he put his mind to it. And he can run three miles without breaking a sweat. Pretty impressive, hmm?"

"Impressive," Blanche echoed. The piece of glass cut into her fingers, but the rope was beginning to fall away, ever so slowly. She could wiggle her arms a bit more.

"And me." She pointed at her face. "What do you notice about me?"

Blanche was beginning to hate this guessing game. _Your face very much resembles a hog-nosed bat._ But she didn't say it out loud. The rope loosened behind her.

"Will you believe that I am sixty two?"

Blanche couldn't help but give a jump. _Sixty two?_ She looked no older than her thirties.  
"Jealous, dear?" the woman tittered. Blanche would very much like to give her a nice kick. "And the Beedrill you met earlier. You've certainly noticed its sheer size. What I'm trying to say is-"

 _You're a band of traveling circus freaks?_

"-that we can give you a marvelous offer that you can't refuse. I can make old men young. I can give you powers unimaginable, strength you can barely fathom."

The ropes were free, but Blanche kept her arms pinned behind her back, hiding them. Now all she had to figure out was how to unlock the cage…

"And I can make your Pokemon bigger, better, faster. The best in the world."

This made her stop. The words ran in a circle around her head. Was that why they were stealing them? To perform their sick, twisted experiments? They _did_ manage to increase the size of that Beedrill. But it didn't explain why the Tauros and Zubats were going berserk. And how had they managed to get their hands on that many Pokemon? Tens of them, hundreds of them, tens of hundreds...Just how big was their organization?

"I can see you're thinking hard. I couldn't help but notice that Vaporeon you always carry with you. Strong enough for you, perhaps, but imagine how much _better_ it could be. Swimming fast enough to become nearly invisible. Increase its powers. A water gun? Hydro pump? Bah! Imagine if it could summon whole whirlpools, typhoons, hurricanes! Nothing would stand in your way. And that weakling of a Machoke? We can bulk it up a bit, make it lift entire trains, airplanes, knock a skyscraper down with a single hit."

"Thank you for the offer," Blanche said coldly. "But they are good enough for me."

" _Really,_ dear? I beg to diff-"

"You talk too much. Just kill me already and spare me the torture of listening to your droning voice."

The woman smiled, but she noticed it was strained. "I don't think you understand. You-"

Blanche rolled her eyes. "Any more of this and my ears will bleed. You certainly did manage to keep your youth, but your voice is as cracked and gnarled as an old lady's."

Bingo. The woman hid her anger well, Blanche could admire her for that.

She continued, "And even with your superior technology, you can't even keep your teeth from rotting off. A pity."

Immediately, the woman's hands flew to her face and covered her mouth. She snapped her fingers. The muscular man lumbered closer and hunkered down to fumble at the lock in her cage. Blanche waited, her breath quickening, but her face betraying no emotion. She balanced herself on the balls of her feet, still crouching. _Wait for it...any second...Now!_

She whipped past him. Too fast to see, too quick to catch. Her feet barely even skimmed the floor. In a few hops, she was past the man and running out the door. The rest of the building was just like the room; peeling wallpaper, moldy smell, cracks that looked at least a few decades old, a grape-colored carpet with one too many stains. She frantically dashed to and fro, searching for any escape route, but the faster she ran, the more her stomach sank. There were no windows. All the doors only led to more rooms. Panic was building up inside her, threatening to swallow her whole. Behind her came the heavy pounding of footsteps on dirty carpet, someone grunting. She picked up speed.

No choice. She careened into a room and slammed the door shut, pressing up against it with her back. She braced herself.

The heavy thud rocketed in her ears, sent the walls and door shuddering. _Whumpf!_ Someone ramming their shoulders into the door. An inhuman strength. The hinges squealed. She pressed tighter, desperately holding the door closed. No hope-with another jarring thud, she went careening onto the floor. _Cccraack!_

She sat up, gasping for breath, glaring at the muscular man. He glared back. But, strangely...he didn't come for her. Just stared down at her from the broken doorway.

The woman appeared from behind her, and this time a smirk played against her lips.

"You've made this harder for yourself, Witch," she said. "I offered you power beyond your wildest dreams. I offered you a place in my open arms. Remember, this is your choice. Although, I am feeling a bit merciful today…Will you join us, Blanche?"

"Never!" she spat back.

"Very well." She snapped her fingers again. Another one of the cronies appeared and threw something into the room. Blanche flinched, but he hadn't been aiming at her; instead, at the carpet. Where it landed, a beautiful orange flower unfurled.

Blanche's eyes widened. She turned back to the woman, but they had already left. The door was just closing behind them.

"No!" She dove toward them, desperately jiggling the knob, and with a pounding heart, realized that they'd locked it. She whirled around. The orange blossom grew, larger and larger. The scent of burning reached her nose. The fire lapped at the carpet and walls hungrily with glowing tongues. Petals of flame soared toward the ceiling, and faster than she realized, the room was filling up with smoke. She tore her eyes away and kicked at the door with all her might. A spark of hope caught alight in her chest. The door was weak from the pounding the man had given it. If she tried, she could bust it open!

She rammed her shoulder into it. It didn't budge. Tried again. Then again. _Whumpf! Wham!_

The billow of smoke grew thicker. She was beginning to choke. The heat was stifling, burning her neck, bathing her skin with orange. She gave one final, feeble lunge at the door, and to her relief, it finally flew open, the hinges only hanging on by a thread. She staggered to her feet and fled from the hungry fire. Smoke had already seeped into the hallway. Blanche coughed.

But then her ears pricked up. She squinted, eyes watering from the thick smoke. What was that over the roar of the flames? That sound...it was like a voice. She stumbled toward it. Louder and louder it grew, until finally…

A cage lay overturned on the carpet, still locked, but something within it stirred. Blanche blinked in surprise. A Togepi. In their haste to get away, the woman must have accidentally dropped it. There were tears in its eyes. It squeaked and huddled away as Blanche crouched down.

"Hey," she said wearily. She was getting light-headed. It was hard to think. She coughed again, and swung the cage up, tucking it beneath one arm. There was a tag tied onto one of the bars. No time to think about that now.

Blanche ran and ran and ran. A few times, she tripped and fell. The Togepi cried out in alarm. It was a while before she found the right door, and it took a few tries before she could open it. Her legs weighed her down. She stumbled into the cool night air, and for one blessed moment, she could breathe again. She drank in the air like water, felt it fill her lungs with her sweetness, and collapsed to her knees. The scratches on her face ached. She was certain that one of them was bleeding again.

Blanche let the building burn behind them. They were in some kind of forest. The building had been weathered and ancient. It would be a while before anyone found out.

"Pi…" Togepi whimpered. Blanche coughed again and fumbled for the tag with numb fingers. She could barely focus on what it said.

Ten numbers. It took her a few moments. She saw things through a hazy fog. A phone number, she finally realized. She slipped her phone out of her pocket. At least the woman hadn't bothered to shuffle through her pockets.

She dialed. Held the phone to her ear. Would it actually work? And who would she be talking to?

It rang for a bit. Then-

" _Hello?"_

Blanche tensed, startled. She had no idea who it was. The voice bore no familiarity. But one thing was certain: it belonged to a child. She could barely believe it. The one from the old man's house? No. They sounded nothing alike.

" _Hello?"_ it said again. " _Hello, hello? Hell-o-o?"_

Blanche let it hang up. Her arms fell limply into her lap. The flames crackled behind her, reaching up with golden fingers to pluck the stars out of the sky.

"Don't cry, Togepi," she said. "I'll take you back to your girl. Everything will be fine."

* * *

Vaporeon dashed past the trees, breath coming in gasps. Blanche's belt of Pokeballs was wrapped around its body, thumping into its hind legs every time it ran. Thoughts raced through its head. Should it go back to the base, warn the Team? No, it realized. What would those men do once they realized they were being followed? Hurt Blanche, no doubt.

Vaporeon skidded to a halt and paced frantically in a circle. What to do, what to do? An idea planted itself in the back of its mind, but it pressed it down, pushed it away, because it was a mad, frightening, and impossible idea. But Blanche…

It shook its head and began running once again. No choice, no choice! The belt tripped its paws and sent it pummeling to the ground. Vaporeon picked itself up again and kept on sprinting, ignoring the stings of its scrapes. There was no other way.


End file.
